Remote work erodes mentoring, Wharton study of 760 finds

Remote work erodes personal relationships and mentoring, according to research by Peter Cappelli and Jasmine Wu published in July 2024. The study, based on interviews with 760 employees of a global financial services firm across three countries conducted in late 2023, found that less contact among colleagues eats away at coordination and collaboration.

Collaboration breaks down

New hires in the study reported that coworkers did not respond to their virtual requests for assistance, according to Cappelli's research. Remote employees shifted their focus toward individual performance goals and away from collective outcomes. Participants reported that virtual meetings are bigger, longer, and less productive than in-office meetings.

A two-tier workforce emerges

"You end up with this two-tier workforce," Cappelli stated. "The old group is slowly shrinking, and the new group that's growing has an arm's length relationship with work." He added that "the idea that remote work is obviously a good thing isn't true. It's most useful for the people who are most needed in the office, and that's experienced people so the younger employees can learn from them."

What this means for coaches

The research documents structural problems—unanswered requests for help, eroded relationships, less productive meetings—that require policy fixes, not just encouragement to collaborate. Coaches advising clients on hybrid work policies now have evidence that remote arrangements create mentoring gaps, particularly for new hires.

The study does not answer which industries beyond financial services face the same problems, what percentage of the 760 employees were new hires, or what metrics were used to measure collaboration and productivity.